UTILIZATION OF GRADED LEVELS OF DRIED CABBAGE LEAVES BY WEANER RABBITS

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the utilization of sun dried cabbage leaf meal by weaner rabbits. A total of sixty (60) mongrel rabbits (12 rabbits per treatment, 4 per replicate) were fed five (5) experimental diets containing graded levels of cabbage leaf meal at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% designated as diets T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The experiment lasted for eight (8) weeks. The performance variables recorded in this study were significantly affected by the graded levels of inclusion of cabbage leaf meal. In all the parameters, diet 4 (15% inclusion of dried cabbage leaves) gave the best performance, while diet 1 (0% cabbage leaves) gave the least performance. The haematological parameters also showed significant differences (P˂0.05) across dietary treatments except for mean corpuscular haemoglobin. Diet 4 recorded higher values in all the parameters analysed while diet 1 and 3 recorded least values. All the parameters analysed for biochemical indices showed significant (P˂0.05) differences across the dietary treatments. Diet 4 recorded higher values in all theparameters considered  except for cholesterol, where diet 3 recorded higher values, while diet 1 recorded least values. The highest feed cost savings was recorded in diet 5 (20% inclusion of cabbage leaf meal) while the highest cost was recorded in diet 1. It was therefore concluded that cabbage leaf meal can be used in the diet of weaner rabbits for up to 20% level of inclusion for optimum performance. Cabbage leaf meal was therefore recommended to farmers as a feed material so as to reduce cost and increase productivity.